media update’s Adam Wakefield spoke to IAB South Africa CEO Paula Hulley about transformation and education in the industry, and whether South African marketers need to be educated in order to prepare for the POPI Act.
In terms of education and transformation, what is IAB's strategy for the next 24 months?
Education and transformation are at the heart of our strategy. Not only do we need to mobilise the assets and expertise that we already have, but we need to ensure we are investing and developing the talent and diverse culture required for a successful future.
We are currently developing a range of partner services that range from discounted industry certified training to professional body certification and the impact that it creates in aligning with the MAC Charter.
To enable businesses to benefit from a transparent digital supply chain, we are working on three key projects: brand safety, data protection and regulation and the IAB Tech Lab.
Celebrating the best in digital is key – both in assisting to make measurement make sense and in profiling and rewarding the best in digital at our annual Bookmark Awards and Summit. Going forward, we will also be upping the frequency of our events and access to partnership events.
Where do you believe the current digital advertising industry is in terms of education and transformation?
There is a lot of good work being done, and there is a lot of work still to be done.
To quote Dr Oupa Monamodi, our IAB South Africa head of transformation and education council: "In large measure, it is due to lack of knowledge and/or misinformation. Large entities have better access to information and resources. Smaller entities tend to be disadvantaged by limited access to information and resources."
Supporting our members and advancing their transformation goals, awareness and education are key.
We are in the process of finalising the strategy and role of our education foundation in South Africa, and we are also exploring an IAB shared services and consulting division.
The division will further service in guiding our members through the legislative and compliance requirements in doing business in South Africa while maximising the benefits to be derived from the opportunities being created.
Transformation is a social and economic imperative for South Africa, and we look forward to the ongoing support of the industry.
How can digital advertisers educate themselves in preparation of the POPI Act?
I believe that many companies are working very hard to prepare for the updated legislation. However, there is still a lot to learn and a lot to be achieved in this space, so awareness and education of the requirements are key.
A clear source to better understanding the requirements and ways of preparing can be found here.
We are currently researching the value to develop a POPI Act code of conduct for digital advertisers, as well as a compliance portal that will assist our members to manage this, and other compliance requirements. We will inform our members soon as to the status of this decision.
For more information, visit www.iabsa.net.
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The GDPR and POPI Act have received much attention from the marketing community and for good reason. Read more in our article, Five tips for dealing with consumer data.